As some of you may know, Wednesday was the Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the Wise Men finding Jesus. Sadly, there were few wise men in sight this January 6th. Even so, let’s hope the actions that took place at the Capitol reveal the desperate need for unity in moving this country forward. With the rollout of the COVID vaccine coinciding with a new year along with a change in leadership, who isn’t eager to embrace a new beginning? 2020 was a year of epiphanies causing people to reevaluate their lives and long-standing beliefs. It was an unveiling of sorts, both personally and corporately, revealing a powder keg of issues we’ve done our best to avoid. Barbara Holmes from the Center for Action and Contemplation describes it as an awakening. “Eureka! I have just awakened to a long-standing reality that an inner unveiling has finally allowed me to see.”
Webster defines epiphany as “a sudden realization or the appearance of God.” We’ve all had them; epiphanies, that is, not necessarily witnessing the appearance of God. Eureka* moments when an elusive concept or idea suddenly becomes clear to us. It’s probably safe to say that none of us has had the opportunity to experience being in the presence of the Divine – at least not in the way the Wise Men did. However, I think we all have moments in life that change us forever. Perhaps it’s an event or a person that challenges all that we believe to be true, causing us to view life in a whole new way. I can’t imagine anyone not being challenged in this way through the myriad of 2020 crises – including the debacle that unfolded at the Capitol this week.
That is the crossroad of life – a transition point of some sort – where our choice will define the direction of our lives. It could be an illness, a financial crisis, a tragedy, a global pandemic, political unrest – something that presents a personal challenge. It doesn’t have to be drastic. It might simply require a change of attitude, a change of priorities, or a change of beliefs, but that will not make it any easier. A wise priest once counseled me, “It is much more difficult to change the way we live than it is to change where we live. The hardest part is giving up old thought patterns and ways of acting and reacting.” That is the beauty and miracle of an epiphany. It changes us forever whether we want it to or not. We can only choose what we want that change to look like.
If you recall the story of the Magi, after they presented their gifts to Christ they returned home. Tony Jarvis, author of With Love and Prayers, concludes his chapter about the Journey of the Magi with an interesting sentiment about their choice to return home a ‘different’ way:
That may mean nothing more than the literal fact that they went home by a different route to avoid Herod in Jerusalem. But it also may mean that for the rest of their lives there was a difference; that somehow, their lives had been changed forever by their contact with the baby; that the rest of their lives would be lived ‘another way.’
As the COVID vaccinations continue, we will be returning to life a ‘different’ way for sure. My prayer for all of us is that we choose to do so open to epiphanies of all kinds and willing to follow the path Christ sets before us. For some that may entail choosing a new life style, profession, living situation. For others, it may be a renewed sense of purpose and excitement, or perhaps simply a new appreciation for that which you already have.
Sometimes the light we’re following will be obvious; other times we may have to choose to travel by faith as the Wise Men did. I don’t think Jerry Garcia will go down in the annals of wise men, but he certainly had a large following and moments of clarity. This was one of them…
Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me;
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been.
NO KIDDING!
*Eureka is Greek for "I found it."
**With Love and Prayers, Pg. 147-149